Traveling for Thanksgiving to cost more as gas prices, hotel rates rise

If you are planning to travel this Thanksgiving holiday, you will likely need to prepare to pay more for gas, car rentals and hotel rooms.

Supply shortages and inflation may require more patience and money from travelers.

The U.S. Department of Labor said rental car prices are up 42 percent this year and hotel rates are roughly 39 percent higher.

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As people take to the roads to visit loved ones, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned drivers to be careful, buckle up and slow down on the roads.

Hector Rivera, of Dayton, told News Center 7′s Kayla McDermott that he was would be traveling to Cleveland for the holiday.

“[I’m] definitely gonna have to be careful during this holiday season. It always gets a little more hectic on the road,” Rivera said.

AAA said you need to keep your eyes on the roads and your wallet. The organization said the national average of gas is $3.41 a gallon. That is more than a dollar higher than last year.

“So, it’s more, but as we’ve always discovered, not matter how much gasoline prices are, people are still going to take that trip,” Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson, said. “They’ll just budget along the way.”

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Adam Wozniak, University of Dayton student, said he plans to driver three hours home for the holiday with this roommate to save money.

“I just made sure that I get my roommate some gas money [since] he’s the one driving his car,” Wozniak said.

Car pooling, like Wozniak, this holiday season can help cut down costs, as well as fuel emissions.

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